Forest of Dean FHT Forum - New Fancy Pit

New Fancy Pit (reply)

Gill — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 10:20:35 +0000

THanks for the web sites. I believe many of my family had a connection with the pit for over 100 years.

Thank you
Gill

New Fancy Pit (reply)

probinson — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 05:59:11 +0000

An opportunity to remind people of Ian Pope's excellent lightmoor.co.uk website that has histories of the many coal mines and gales in the Forest. The page for New Fancy can be found at http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalNewFancy.html and the index is at http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/Coalopen.html

Hint, I find the information difficult to read as the text is a bit small for my eyes and there's a lot of it so I tend to copy it into Word and reformat it for reading.

New Fancy Pit (reply)

Gill — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 23:48:39 +0000

Thanks Jeff a mass of information. So much went on in such a small area and I haven't even commenced writing up my Viney Hill Lowe family.

Thank goodness for this web site. Finding the people is one thing but making sense of their lives is quite another challenge but well worth the effort.

Cheers Gill

New Fancy Pit (reply)

Jefff — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 14:32:24 +0000

Hi Gill,
here's a previous forum thread discussing the Barracks which I hope you'll find helpfull.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=33707

This Ordnance Survey map of the area from 1878 clearly shows the relatively remote location of the Barracks, near to the Fancy pit.
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101453661

This discussion on the Sungreen site describes how the houses at the Barracks were considered an extension of the hamlet of Moseley Green to the south.
https://www.sungreen.co.uk/Parkend-Glos/Brown_family.html

Nowadays the Fancy pit's spoil heap has been transformed into a popular visitor's spot, as it commands great views across the Forest. On a warm summer's day if you visit on a quiet time (less people) it's a great place to find adders basking or even "dancing" in the sun, and spot buzzards circling overhead. Some more info about the area and particularly the history of the Fancy pit can be found via this old thread.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?mode=thread&id=38258

Hope this is of interest, Jeff.

New Fancy Pit (reply)

Gill — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 10:54:54 +0000

Hi Mike

Thanks you for the information. All helps to paint the picture of Forest Life for my past family. I have never come across the Alamy site before so yet another helpful resource. Always something more to learn!

Thank you,

Gill

New Fancy Pit (reply)

shepway — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:18:59 +0000

The Census Returns tell us that James was an Engine Driver (Driver of the Colliery Winding Engine) and being the only family giving the New Fancy as the address would suggest they were living on site. There is a leaflet of the site as it is today at: http://bit.ly/2to9kSt and the nearest housing can be found at the Barracks: http://bit.ly/2sEbmBb

Mike

New Fancy Pit

Gill — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 02:56:26 +0000

Can any one tell me if they had dwellings at the Pit or accommodation for workers?

My GG Grandfather James Wintle plus Elizabeth (wife) had this address in the 1871 census and also on his burial record, aged 76 , on 16th Nov.1873 buried at St Pauls. Might this indicate that he was still working at the time of his death ?

Many thanks Gill